How Do I Know if I Have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?
This is a question I find a lot of people asking themselves. It can be more of a gray area than one would think - especially since it is a topic that most of us, well, are a little gray on!
Nicole Cozen PT, DPT, WCS, CSCS made this task pretty simple by developing an efficient tool that patients and practitioners can use to identify those who may need the help of a pelvic health physical therapist.
Click here to find out if you are a good candidate for pelvic health PT:https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d1026c_42a0fda8e5644930950d754619586614.pdf
Leakage
A healthy pelvic floor helps us store our urine and stool until there is an appropriate time to void. When we experience leaking there is a problem in our system - whether it is a weakness, muscle imbalance, or an overactivity of our muscles. A pelvic health PT can help find the underlying ‘why’ to truly fix this problem.
Frequency
This can definitely be one of those gray areas. There is always the ‘but I just drank a lot of water’ reasoning - which is often times valid. However, consistently running to the restroom more frequently than every two hours should warrant a deeper dive into this topic. A pelvic health PT can also help you determine the appropriate amount of water that you should be drinking. Everyone’s needs are different!
Pain
Activities such as sitting, caring for your baby, tampon use, sex, and medical exams should not be painful. What many people don’t know is that treatments for these problems can be very successful. No one should settle for dealing with discomforts like this on a regular basis.
Effort
We should not have to push to get our urine stream started and we should not have to strain to have a bowel movement. Whether you are dealing with a true constipation issue or a functional constipation issue (your stool is not hard you are just having a hard time getting it out) a pelvic health PT can help!
If you found yourself checking off 3 or more boxes on the Cozen screening tool, don’t hesitate to seek out the help of a pelvic health PT.
Contact for a free phone consult if you have questions:
A deeper dive into the development of the Cozean Screening Tool: https://hermanwallace.com/blog/simple-screening-questionnaire-for-pelvic-floor-dysfunction
Link to Cozean Screening Tool:
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d1026c_42a0fda8e5644930950d754619586614.pdf
